Kawaii Kon 2017 Is Coming! Honolulu Is Ready

Hawai’i’s largest Japanese culture, art, and animation convention, Kawaii Kon, is only a week away and all the anime fans in Honolulu are gearing up for the con.

Over fifteen thousand anime fans are expected to gather at the convention this year, most of them in colorful and intricate costumes of their favorite characters. During the event, attendees can participate in table top gaming events, challenge professional gamers at gaming tournaments, support local artists and businesses in the expansive Artist Alley and Dealer’s Room, enjoy concerts from local, Japanese, and American artists, view the latest anime movies and shows, participate in interactive panels, and meet famous voice actors, singers, and fashion designers.

Two guests I’m most excited about at this year’s Kawaii Kon are Steven Universe‘s Zach Callison and Deedee Magno Hall, both of whom I was lucky enough to talk with at San Diego Comic-Con last year. It’ll be great to see them on my home turf this time around, and hopefully they enjoy their time in Hawai’i. We love getting guests out here, and hope they enjoy the aloha spirit that our state is so famous for. Hot tip to our guests: if someone offers you a malasada from Leonard’s or a cocopuff from Liliha Bakery, take it. These are treasures you must experience before heading back to the mainland.

This will be my third Kawaii Kon, and I’m looking forward to a fun geeky anime and manga themed weekend. I always have a blast at my city’s home convention, but this year is particularly exciting for me as I’ll be hosting two panels. These will be the first of what I hope are many panels, and look forward to sharing the videos with readers after the con is over. If you’re in the area, check out Let’s Celebrate Yuri!! On Ice on Sunday April 9th at 1:30pm in Room 3 and Yaoi: Present & Future on Saturday April 8th at 11pm in Room 1.

Stephanie “Angel” Wilson is the admin of The Geekiary and a geek culture commentator. She earned a BA in Film & Digital Media from UC Santa Cruz. She’s contributed to various podcasts and webcasts including An Englishman in San Diego, Free to Be Radio, and Genre TV for All. She’s written for Friends of Comic Con and has essays published in Fandom Frontlines.